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Pueraria mirifica, commonly called kudzu or Japanese arrowroot, is a fast-growing, subtropical vine that is native to parts of China and Japan and a common wild plant in southern regions of the U.S. It has been part of Asian herbal medicine for thousands of years and may be a useful herbal remedy for several health problems.

Phytochemicals

Pueraria mirifica, or kudzu, contains phytochemicals called daidzein, genistein, tectorigenin and puerarin. These chemicals belong to a class called isoflavones, which are natural antioxidants that also have estrogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. Antioxidants help protect you from free radicals, chemicals that form as natural byproducts of digestion. They also develop in your skin and eyes when you are in bright sun and can form when you are exposed to environmental toxins. Over time, free radicals can damage DNA and membranes in your cells, potentially accelerating aging and raising your risk of cancer and other disorders. Antioxidants such as those in kudzu stabilize free radicals, making them harmless and allowing your body to get rid of them.

Effects on Alcohol

Compounds in Pueraria mirifica affect how your body handles alcohol by suppressing the activity of enzymes that break it down. This can lower your blood alcohol level after you consume alcohol-containing drinks, lessening their effects on your body and protecting your liver from alcohol-induced damage. In research with laboratory animals published in the "Journal of Medicinal Food," alcohol-addicted animals fed kudzu extract consumed less alcohol and had fewer symptoms of alcohol withdrawal than placebo-fed animals. A small clinical study published in "Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research" found that consuming kudzu affected human subjects in a similar way, reducing alcohol intake and lessening the urge to drink alcohol. However, these promising results need confirmation in larger clinical studies.

Other Benefits

Experts at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center report that isoflavones in Pueraria mirifica with estrogenic properties may help relieve some of the symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes and night sweats. The herb may also have positive affects on cognitive function and suppress inflammation by reducing production of certain chemicals by immune cells. The Cancer Center also reports that one of the compounds in the herb, tectorigenin, may also have natural anti-cancer activity, suppressing growth of cultured human cancer cells, although this needs further examination in clinical studies with human subjects.

Use and Precautions

Pueraria mirifica extract is available from health food stores as tablets or capsules. Choose products certified for their content of isoflavones, usually about 25 percent. Generally considered safe, the extract may cause an allergic reaction in some people and has not been evaluated for safety during pregnancy or breast-feeding. Do not consume the herb if you have a hormone-sensitive disorder. It may also interact with some medicines, including tamoxifen, a drug used to treat breast cancer, and diabetes medications. Talk to your doctor about kudzu to decide if it is a good choice for your situation.

About the Author

Joanne Marie began writing professionally in 1981. Her work has appeared in health, medical and scientific publications such as Endocrinology and Journal of Cell Biology. She has also published in hobbyist offerings such as The Hobstarand The Bagpiper. Marie is a certified master gardener and has a Ph.D. in anatomy from Temple University School of Medicine.